Liquid and gas contact apparatus



May 15, 192s.

,1,669,638 F. H. WAGNER LIQUID AND GAS CONTACT APPARATUS Filed Feb. '7, 1925 Patented! May 15, 19,28o

UNITED STATES i 1,669,639' PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. WAGNER, OF BALTMOBE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T THE BARTLETT HAYWARD COMPANY, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARY- LAND.

LIQUID AND GAS CONTACT APPARATUS.

Application led February 7, 1925. Serial No. 7,646.

This invention pertains to liquid and gas Contact apparatus, and more particularly to that type generally known or denominated in the artsasverticalscrubbers.

.The present structure pertains to certam modiicationsof the so-called Feld scrubber, see Patents Nos. 940,103 and 988,037, dated respectively Nov. 16th, 1909, and January 31st, 1911,/and the invention has for its oblo jects, among other things, an improved means for, mounting the liquid elevating and spraying elements upon the driving shaft; means for breaking up or diffusing the sprayed liquid as it passes from one section of the scrubber to another to effect a more intimate contact between the liquid and gases, said means also causing the gases to travel through a path of increased length;

means for producing in the last section of' 'the scrubber a ner spraying of `the liquid than in the others for the final treatment of the gas being passed through the apparatus; and the interpositioning oi an eliminator between said last section and the discharge outlet for the treated gas.

rlhe structure is illustrated in the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the scrubber; y

Fig.. 2 is a detail perspective view of a. portion of the driving shaft and one of the spacing sleeves or collars;l i

Fig. 3 an enlarged sectional perspective of a portion of the eliminator; and

Fig. 4 a detail sectional view of one of the combined deiector and spray producing plates.

The scrubber may be composed of any number of spraying sections, three being 4o shown in the present instance for the purpose of illustration.

In the drawing, 1 denotes the shell or casing preferably ormed from a series of sections boltedv together and provided with a e5 top 2. The driving and supporting shaft for the liquid elevatingy and spraying elements, shortly to be described, is designated by 3, lits lower end is retained in a suitable bearing 4, while its upper end is'secured to 5e and supportedby any suitable bearing, desi nated generally by 5, and preferably of i t at type which is self aligning. Rotary motion 1s imparted to the shaft by a motor 6 the shaft whereof is connected to the bearing elements which are secured to the shaft y through a worm (not shown) and a Worm gear 7.

The shaft which is polygonal in cross section extends throughout the height of the casing andvin spaced relation through collars 8 formed centrally of a series of pans 9, 10 and 11, which are sustained in spacedrelation to each other and to the wall of the casing by suitable straps or brackets 12, or in any approved manner.

Extending inwardly from the Wall of the shell, above each of the lowermost pans. 9 and 10 is an annular baille or deflector plate, said elements being denoted respectively by 13 and 14. The plates are provided with a series of p'erforations 15, and, as Will be best seen upon reference to Fig. 4, the lower end of each opening is defined by a downwardly extending lip or tlange 16 the purpose of which is to cause the liquid which passes through the openings to drop therefrom in a stream or as a series of drops from each opening. ln other words such lips prevent the liquid from spreading laterally on the under face of the plate and coalescing which would result in the liquid leaving the plate in one or more large streams and thus defeat the object in view,-to Wit, subdividing the liquid into a series of minute streams and thereby ensuring an intimate and a largeA surface contact between the liquid and the assing through the apparatus. ese plates 13 and 14, togetherV with a diaphragm 17, irusto-conical in form, and located above the upper pan 11, form what may be termed reacting chambers which are designated respectively 18, 19 and 20.

Mounted upon the shaft 3 for rotation therewith is a series of liquid elevating and spraying elements, one series for each chamber. rlfhese members may be said to comprise a hub 21, having the opening therethrough of such shape as to closely it the polygonal shaft, an outwardly extending flange Q2, and a series of inverted frustoconical elements 23 secured to the ilange and hold in spaced relation to each other, said elements dipping down into the liquid in the pan immediately below the same. The outerinost element is provided at its upper por-v tion` with a series of fine slots or openings 24, said element also extending upwardly to a slight extent above the upper edge of the highest of the other elements.

Each hub has extending 'downwardly thrown outwardly thereb l5 therefrom a skirt 21EL which with the collar 8 forms a liquid seal to prevent the passage of gas at this point.

The hubs, and consequently the liquid elevating and spraying'cones 23, are held in spaced relation by sleeves 25 slipped onto the shaft as the parts are assembled thereon.

As will be seen, the cone shaped elements of the upper liquid spraying member are of va diameter somewhat in excess of those becenter, and located between said opening'and the top or cover 2 ofthe scrubber is an eliminator which has the effect of detraining the liquid particles from the gaseous medium. Said eliminator comprises a plurality of sheets of metal 26 having a series of perforations formedl therein, the perforations in one sheet being staggered in relation to the next adjacent sheet. The treated gas after passing through the eliminator plates enters a chamber 27 formed between the diaphragm 17 and the top 2, and passes out- Wardly from an exit 28. The inlet for the gas is denoted at 29 and opensinto the lower v chamber 18 at a point below the -pan 9 located therein.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the liquid may be elevated by the cones and sprayed outwardly toward the shell of the casing and that such liquid would pass down-. ward y through the perforations 15 Vin the deiector plates, and pass downwardly into the chamber next below in the form .of a rain of drops.. By reason of the lipped formation of the lower portion of the openings, the liquid is prevented from flowing over the under surface of the plates, and co alesoing and running down, therefrom in streams; hence the gas which has a circuitous path through the apparatus as indicated by the arrows comes into very intimate contact with the liquid which i.' initially broken up and sprayed outwardly by the cones and thereafter retained in such fine condition orl a proximately so by the perforate delec'tor p ates.

As will be above noted, by reason of the enlargement of the raying cone in the upper chamber 20, the iquid will be thrown outwardl therefrom in a finer condition than in t e lower chambers, and thus a final washing of the gas by the liquid is effected under the most advantageous conditions. Some of the liquid which is sprayed out-,t

wardly by the cones will pass back into the pans inasmuch as the diaphragme overlie the pans to a certain extent. Obviously the construction above described requires that the water rate be increased to compensate for that portion of the water which escapes Lne pans. This may be readily computed and such water supplied through any suitable source (not shown).

Where the machine is employed for concentrating solutions of the gases in the liquid, then I prefer to employ baffles as shown in connection with the lower deiiector plate 13.' Said bailie merely comprises a ringshaped member or plate 30 which covers the openings in the outer portion of the detiector and causes all the water or liquid which is thrown outwardly by the cones to flow in wardly toward the center of the scrubber and to pass through those openings in the plate 13 which overlietlie pan. Such an arrangement causes a constant re-circulation of the liquid in the chambers. In order to introduce liquid into the various pans a main 30 having valve controlled laterals 31 will be employed.

It is of course manifest that, in so far as the utilization of the perforate deilector plates'and the eliminator is concerned, any form of means for elevating the liquid from the pans, and throwing it outwardly in a spray through the gaseous medium, may be employed.

What is claimed is: y

1. In an apparatus of the character specilied, the combination of a shell or casing; a series ofp'ans mounted therein one above the other, with the edges of the pans standing in spaced relation to the shell; means located abovel each pan for withdrawing liquid therefrom and spraying the same laterally toward the wall of the shell; and a sub stantially horizontal perforate .baille late extending inwardly trom/,the wall o the shell above at least the lower pans of `the series and onto which batlie plate the sprayed water returns.

2. An apparatus as specified in claim 1 wherein the perforations in the baiile are provided with dependin lips to prevent reflowandv coalescence o the liquid on the under face of the baies.

3. In an ap aratus of the character speciied, the com ination of a shell or casing; a series of pans mounted therein one above the other, with the edges of the pans .standing in spaced relation to the shell; means located above each pan for' withdrawing liquid therefromand spraying'the same laterally toward the wall of the shell; and a substantially horizontal perforate bailie plate extending inwardly from the wall of the shell `above and inspaced relation to`at least the lower pans of the series and below the path of the sprayl the plates extending inlll) wardly and terminating at a point inward of the outer edge of the pan.

4. In an ap aratus of the character speciied, the com ination of a shell or casing;

a series of pans located therein one above the other; means above each pan acting to Withdraw liquid therefromand to spray it laterally; a perforate deflector plate extending inwardly `from the wall of the casing and terminating` at its inner edge over one of the pans; and a removable plate resting on the defiector plate, Said removable platev being of a width to blank the perforations in the ydeector betweenr the wall of the shell and the outer edge of the underlying pan.

5. In an apparatus of the character speciied, the combination of a shell or casing; a series of pans located therein, one above the other; a rotatable shaft extending upwardly through the -shell and pans; a. series of inverted rusto-conical members secured to the shaft above each pan, the upper ortion of the outermost member, at least, pelng perforated, the outer member of the uppermost series being oa greater diameter at its upper end than the corresponding members of the other series; means for rotating -the shaft.; and horizontally disposed perforate baille plates extending inwardly from the wall of the shell intermediate the pans and below the path of spray thrown outwardly by the frusto-conieal members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK H. WAGNER. 

